Rotary chair for railway-carriages



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

H. G. DICKINSON. v ROTARY GHAIR FOR RAILWAY GARRIAGBS.

No. 341,098. Patented May 4, 1886.

N PETERS. Phololilhognphen Washingkm. D. C,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. G. DICKINSON.

ROTARY CHAIR FOR RAILWAY UARRIAGBS.

Patented May 4, 188-6.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. DICKINSON OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY CHAIR FOR RAlLWAY-CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,098, dated May 4, 1886.

Application filed March 8, 1886. Serial No. 194,385. (No model.)

.770 (Ml whom it mcty concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY G. DICKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotating Chairs for Railway-Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rotating chairs for railway-carriages and in means for operating the same; the object being to provide for railroad and other carriages an improved rotating chair and means for simultaneousl y rotating all of the chairs on one side of a car, to cause them to face in opposite directions.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation illustrating a portion of the inner side and the floor of a railway-car, and showing attached to the latter a chair and rotating mechanism connected therewith embodying my invention, the stand on which said chair is supported be ing shown in vertical section, and the chairoperating bar being shown broken off at the ends. Fig. 2 is an interior end elevation of a portion of a car, showing the side wall and the floor thereof in section, and showing the revolving chair in front elevation, and a portion of the operating mechanism for rotating the latter, hereinafter fully described. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a pair of seatframes, their stands, and mechanism for rotating said frames. Fig. 4: is a perspective View of portions of two of the chair-rotating shafts and the mechanism by which they are given a reciprocating rotary motion. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the top of the seat-frame, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the top of the chairstand.

In the drawings, 2 indicatesaportion of the floor, and 3 of the side, of a car, and 4 a part of the end thereof. Hollow chairstands 5, preferably of iron, of vase or other suitable form, as shown, are secured to the floor 2 of the car, in single or double rows extending from one end of the car to the other on each side of the usual central passage between the seats of the car, according to the number of seats wanted between said passage and the side of the car. W'hen two seats or chairs are arranged side by side, the chair-rotating mecln anism of both is connected bya single shaft, 6, as shown in Fig. 3, and where only one chair is placed on each side of said passage-stud shaftterminates within the stand of said chair. The said shaft 6 extends transversely through the hollow stand 5 and has suitable bearings in the latter, in which it has a free reciprocating rotary motion. A crank-arm, 7, is secured onone end of the shaft 6, having a pin in its end, which engages in a vertical slot in the sliding bar 8, the latter being hung on a series of roller-supports, 9, on the side of the car,in whichit hasareciprocating movement, which is imparted to it by the lever 10, which is pivoted on the side of the car and has a geared segment on its lower end which engages with and rotates a pinion, 11, also pivoted on the side of the car, and said pinion engages with a rack, 12, on one end of said sliding bar. A geared segment, 13, is secured on the shaft 6 within each chair-stand, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A collar, 14,, is secured on said shaft within said stand to retain the shaft in proper position. The upper end of the chairstand is provided with a series of friction rollers, 15, which sustain the weight of the chair, and on which thelatter rot-ates. The seat-frame 16 of the chair is secured to a metal frame, 17, as shown in Fig. 5, and a stud, 18, is secured centrally on the latter, which projects downward through the top of the chair-stand, and on said stud is fixed a beveled pinion, 19, which engages with said geared segment 13 on shaft- 6. A circular bearing-ring, 20, is secured on the under side of the seat-frame,over the said friction rollers on the chair-stand, forming a circular track for said rollers. The chair mounted on said seat-frame may be of the de scription shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or of any other desirable form which permits two thereof, when arranged side by side, to be rotated on the stands 5, as set forth.

The above-described construction ofrailwaycar chairs and means forsimultaneously rotating them to cause them to iacein the direction of the movement of the car obviates the neces sity of turning over car-seats one by one when the direction of the movement of the car is changed, and provides convenient means for providing one or two revolving chairs in the place of the usual long seat in a car, and for retaining said chairs in proper position.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: When it is desirable to reverse the chairs, the lever 10 is seized by the operator and swung on its pivot, thereby rotating the pinion 11, and the latter engaging withthe rack 12 imparts a longitudinal motion to the slotted sliding bar 8, which rocks the shafts 6 and rotates the segment 13, thereby turning the chair on the stand 5 to bring it to the desired position.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A chairforacaror analogoususe, mounted on a stand, substantially as described, and capable of rotation thereon, having a geared pinion secured to the under side of its seat to rotate therewith in a horizontal plane, a horizontal shaft extending through said stand,having thereon a geared segment engaging with said pinion, and having a crank-arm thereon, a slotted sliding bar attached to the side of the car and engaging with said crank-arm, and means, substantially as described, for imparting a sliding motion to said bar, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

2. A chair for a car, mounted on a stand, substantially as described, and capable of lo cation thereon, a slotted bar attached to the side of the car in proximity to said chair, and means, substantially as described, for impar ing a reciprocating horizontal motion to said bar, a shaft extending horizontally under said chair having a crank-connection with said bar, and having a geared connection with the seat-frame of said chair, whereby the rocking motion of said shaft imparts a rotary motion to said seat-frame in a horizontal plane, combined and operating ubstantially as set forth. 3. A chair for a car, mounted on a stand, substantially as described, and capable of rotation thereon, a bar attached to the side of the carin proximity to said chair, and means, substantially as described, for imparting a re eiprocating horizontal motion to said bar, a shaft extending horizontally under said chair, having a crank engaging with said bar, and having a geared connection with the seat-frame of said chair, whereby the rocking motion of said shal't imparts a rotary motion to said seat-framein a horizontal plane, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

HENRY G. DICKINSON. W'itnesses:

WM. H. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN. 

